Shattered Image
by SootyPhoenix
Summary: Set when Severus and Lily were at school, Lily lets slip that a friend of hers has a crush on Severus and he believes her to be lying but is she Suspended
1. Chapter 1

'Are you sure?' the red haired girl asked staring off into space and twisting a strand of hair around her finger. The light bouncing off her hair appeared to dance with her movements. The red head gently bit her bottom lip considering things for a moment.

'I'm certain Lily, he's cute' the blond said smiling and pulling at a loose bit of hair which had fallen in front of her face before tucking it neatly behind her ear, although it did not stay like that for long. The golden strands shone brightly as the light which fell in scattered patterns as it reached through the leaves and branches of the tree which they had found shelter under. The two girls were thankful for the isolated bit of shade which the leaves and branches offered.

'I don't know, Lorena' Lily muttered looking down at the blades of grass which she ran her mildly bronzed fingers through. She appeared deep in thought and she shuddered slightly as a cold breeze rippled over the grass. Severus Snape paused having heard the conversation from the teenagers as he was walking towards them. He stood for a moment considering their words before deciding on an ideal course of action.

'Stupid Potter' he muttered to himself deciding to dispel the conversation from his memory and sat down next to Lily who jumped at his arrival and smiled weakly.

'Oh, Hi Severus' she said cheerfully turning her attention to the potions homework she had on her lap, there was only a few sentences written down. Severus nodded at her and glared at Lorena who just looked at him uncertainly her eyes shining like aquamarines in the ovals they occupied.

'Lily, I have to go, meet you later' Lorena said grabbing her belongings and hurrying away glancing back at her friend and Severus when she believed herself out of sight.

'One way to clear somewhere, have me walk in' Severus sighed pulling out his own homework from the small, tattered black messenger bag which he carried while being careful to avoid knocking any of the vials of potion which he kept in his bag.

'Sev' Lily started but paused unsure of how to explain to him, it was impossible to make him believe anything which he did not wish too, he was stubborn in that way. 'You don't know she left because of you' she eventually said sighing in annoyance. Severus smirked at her poor excuse but he was thankful for her attempt at making him feel better although it did not show through to Lily. 'Okay kind of weak, but not everyone hates you' Lily laughed smiling at her friend hopefully but knowing he would pick her words to shreds like hungry vultures descending on a fresh corpse. Severus half laughed before scribbling a few notes onto the parchment with his elegant, neat handwriting.

'Just people who think Pothead is cute' Severus growled the nickname in annoyance his lips twisting into a snarl. 'Which is everyone but us two' He continued turning his black eyes to look into her emerald green once and she sighed once again.

'That's not true, I know someone who fancies you' Lily said without thinking and then she clamped her hands over her mouth in shock at her words, she was normally good at keeping secrets that had been trusted to her like treasure is trusted to the ground in which it is hidden.

'I'll humor you, who?' Severus asked leaning his head against his hands which clamped together to form a resting point and looking at her curiosity burning in his dark eyes.

'She would kill me if she find out I told you that much, never mind her name' Lily laughed turning her attention back to her homework a smile still embedded on her lips. She was glad that Severus had not immediately dismissed her words but still felt guilty that she had revealed a secret trusted to her.

'So a female, that you know, fancies me' Severus repeated doubtfully and Lily nodded 'I don't believe you' he said his eyes darkening as he turned away from her and packing up his belongings annoyed that his childhood friend would lie to him. It irked him that she would dare attempt to force him to believe such an obvious lie. Lily sighed in irritation before grabbing her belongings to follow him; he could be stubborn sometimes, often when it was unnecessary.

'Severus, why don't you believe me?' Lily enquired catching up with him quickly. Severus looked at her for a moment as he walked but decided to ignore her question, for once wishing that she would leave him alone. She mirrored his footsteps through the school grounds, into the entrance hall and into the entrance of the dungeons in silence wondering at his refusal to accept the truth as her mind whirred in an attempt to find a way to prove the sincerity of her words to the stubborn boy she was with without betraying her friend. Severus noted that the shadow which stalked him stopped at the entrance to the dungeons and looked at her for a moment before descending into the cold, stone maze which ran beneath the school. Severus strolled deeper into the dungeons his mind focused on what his friend had said, _it had to have been a lie, who would fancy me?_ His mind sneered at him. _Why would Lily lie?_ Another smaller voice added and he hesitated for a moment, he had never known Lily to lie before and it was unlikely for her to start now, it simply was not in her nature. After a while of walking Severus stopped sighing before resting his head against the cold, stone walls. His dark hair fell in front of his face obstructing his vision and for a moment he allowed his mind to go blank, he allowed only the sound of the scurrying insects and rodents to occupy his thoughts. Life is far too complicated. After a moment the complications and trials of life began to burrow their way back into his mind, he could only keep them away for so long. Sighing he began to trace the complex array of tunnels and corridors back towards the main building, he knew the dungeons almost by heart and found it easy to wander around without thinking and without becoming lost. The steps creaked as he walked towards the corridor which held the Transfiguration classroom, and the new teacher who had started this year, Professor McGonagall. He was thankful that it was not a lesson which he had to share with Lily, normally this made him sad but for once he was almost glad that he would only have to put up with the know-it-all brats, also known as ravenclaws.


	2. Chapter 2

The dungeon corridor was dark and silent as Severus sat looking up from the book which was nestled in his lap. His dark eyes stared into the thin air and he appeared to be deep in thought, as if something was caught in his mind like candy wrappers trapped in a fence. The book was slowly collecting dust at the lack of movement which it was unaccustomed to, it was unusual for Severus to stop reading once he had engrossed himself in some book or other and so it just lay against the black fabric of his robes alone and unwanted. He jumped as footsteps sounded along the corridor and his book slid from his lap onto the cold, stone floor. He swore in his mind and his fingers reached down to pick up the book which lay rejected against the floor with its pages bending under the weight of the spine pressing it into the stones.

'he..hello' A soft voice whispered from the corner and Severus looked up quickly at the blonde who stood uncertainly her hand placed against the wall as if for support. Her hair was partly covering her face as she refused to look at the boy sitting alone. 'L...Lily sent me, to see if you are okay' she continued turning her face further away from him as she spoke.

'yes' his voice was soft and almost silky as he spoke and the girls long hair fell in front of her face as she tilted her head slightly. 'you're... Helena?' His black eyes sparkled in the faint glow of the dungeons.

'Lorena' The female corrected, she seemed slightly annoyed by the innocent mistake he made. After a second her face returned to the slightly fearful expression which she carried. She blushed slightly at the outburst and hid her face once again.

'Sorry' He was puzzled by her reaction but though little of it as he looked back at the book which he had now replaced on his lap and he turned the pages so that he could resume the reading which he had failed at before.

'Wh...what are your reading?' She seemed more nervous now as she took a step forward and ducked down slightly so that she could attempt to catch a glimpse of the title. Severus sighed; he was not going to show her he did not need to be taunted for it. She stepped forward again her hands shaking slightly as she moved. 'Why do you hid yourself' He glanced at her this time, he wondered why she would not just leave him alone. He decided to ignore the question and he turned his emotionless gaze back to the book. Lorena stood for a moment waiting but after a moment she sighed and walked back down the corridor seeming upset. As she turned the corner she almost walked into Lily who jumped back and regarded her friend.

'Well?'

'He says he is fine' Lorena shrugged stopping for a moment before carrying down the corridor, her eyes were glazed over as if she was zoned out completely from herself and everything going on around her. Lily looked back towards Severus a worried expression pasted against her face but she turned away and hurried up to the corridor to her friend.

'Lily...' Severus was standing now, more like hiding though as he was pushed against the corner watching the two girls from the darkened hiding spot he had found. He watched the red head rush away from him as his mind turned over things, considering and puzzling out. He watched Lily closely and for a second his eyes flicked to the blonde girl who seemed to be spending more and more time with Lily, they was something... different about her and Severus could not identify it for all that he was worth, he snorted at the thought, not much apparently and he turned his attention back to the red head he had been fascinated with for years '...Why must you be so confusing?' he finished his piercing black eyes watching Lily's blazing red hair move and sway with her actions, the strands appeared like a fire blazing and burning brightly against the dismal dungeons which he crept about so often. An angel like her does not deserve to be in such a depressing place, he thought as he turned away from the girls and pressed his back against the wall so that he could collapse to the ground, the book was once again laying rejected like an unwanted puppy by his side. After a moment of staring into thin air he picked up the book and stood up but he hesitated for a moment uncertain of where to go. Normally he would spend his free time with Lily in the too bright sunshine which was cast across the school ground but her new friend had hindered this some, it seemed almost like the friendship they had formed and he had kept as a sacred item was slowly shattering like a picture dropped to the ground, the picture was fading and he wondered if she even recognised this, if it mattered to her like it did to him, he snorted again, of course not he did not deserve her as a friend she was too... perfect for him. Slowly he turned towards the rest of the building and walked the complex maze which ran beneath the school until he reached the entrance. With a nod towards the headmaster who stood smiling at him with a twinkle in his eye he walked up the winding staircases and towards the school library, at least he could immerse himself in books and the silence of the library.


End file.
